What to expect from a cleaner

[broodymamma]

Is it too much to expect my cleaner to actually tidy my house. I have 5 kids the eldest being 8. They are very efficient at turning my house upside down. But up till now I have had a cleaner every day for at least 4 hours. If she finds a kids skipping rope say on the kitchen floor she will pick it up and put it on a chair and tuck chair in rather than find the appropriate place to put it. Worst still if she goes to the playroom to tidy and finds feltips with the lids off she will not replace the lids. She will gather the whole lot and toss them into the nearest toybox. She will often be met with a mixture of games of various sorts that have been played with but unfortunately not been put away. She will make no effort to tidy each game into the appropriate box but toss the whole lot in to whichever toy box is nearest. I guess that if this doesn't suit me I should look for a replacement cleaner. but just wondering if I am expecting too much and a replacement wouldn't be any better. I know my kids need to learn to tidy up after themselves and I am working on this.

[Trifleorbust]

So that is what you advertised for and have clearly explained? Her job is childcare (feeding your 1 year old), cleaning and tidying your house and doing all the laundry?

And what do you pay per hour?

[Minivaperviper]

Wow four hours a day, if you haven't set out a plan with her then she will do it as she pleases.

I'm a cleaner and much prefer it when clients tell me exactly what they expect and their preferences.

Have a review walk around with her but in a sensitive way I've felt patronised by clients before like I don't know how to do my job for a living.

Saying that 5 kids and cleaning/tidying is like shovelling snow when it's snowing.

[Trifleorbust]

And I assume she has sole charge of your 1 year old?

[MrsHiddleston]

I'm guessing you have a 1,3,5,6 and 8 year old all perfectly trained at how to tidy up after themselves. Please share with me your magic method, oh do!

It isn't magic. Tell your children anything they do not put away goes in the bin. And then put it in the bin. Simple. If you do not teach your children to look after their things now, they never will.

You clearly need more help with your sixth child under 8 in the way. Not necessarily a 4 hour a day cleaner who you clearly aren't satisfied with.

[broodymamma]

Kids cloths on adult sized hangers causes the shoulders to stretch especially because the garment is wet.

[AliceInUnderpants]

She has to dress your children?? WYF? That's not a cleaner's job!

Are your younger children in childcare whilst the older ones are at school?

[EdmundCleverClogs]

Other people work, look after their young family and tidy up after themselves, what a novelty!

That's the black and white of this matter- you have a cleaner when you want a housekeeper. Either hire one or learn to tidy up after yourselves. Might even take you less than four hours a day .

[gamerchick]

How much are you paying her, is there a reason you don't want to answer?

[CaesiumTime]

Why does it matter what the OP pays her? The person has clearly agreed to the wage and the work.

OP has a mother's helper/housekeeper/cleaner.

The role is not that unusual - I have had similar as do many of the other young mothers in my area. (I'm not a young mother anymore, ahem.)

Sometimes the lines are blurred as to exactly what the job expectations will be from the outset and if you can work together well then it's great. Sometimes though it can be more work to have someone 'help' you if they themselves aren't an organised person.

People are just jumping to call the OP a lazy slave driving exploiting slattern. Why?

[Ilovewillow]

From what you have said she sounds more like a house keeper in which case yes I would expect her to be tidying away properly as well! We have a cleaner (3 hrs per week) and I don't expect her to tidy as well. In fact if the playroom is really untidy I tell her not to clean in there that week!

I would revisit the job description and be a little more explicit in what you expect. If she feels this is too much it will give you the opportunity to have a proper chat about it!

[Trifleorbust]

CaesiumTime: Because she describes her as a cleaner, so I think the assumption people might be making is that she is paying a nanny/housekeeper/cleaner as a cleaner and yes, that is exploitative.

[EdmundCleverClogs]

Just read the bit where she's also expected to feed and dress your child! This must be a wind up, or your cleaner has the patience of a saint/is on a fuckton of Valium......

[CaesiumTime]

Because she describes her as a cleaner, so I think the assumption people might be making is that she is paying a nanny/housekeeper/cleaner as a cleaner and yes, that is exploitative.

And you know this how?

In my area Housekeepers and nannies are often paid less than cleaners per hour.

[gamerchick]

Because it sheds light on all sorts of things.

You don't pay a cleaners wages for the work that's being described here. So maybe the OP has got herself confused with a title and she has an actual housekeeper on the correct salary or she doesn't know what a cleaner is supposed to do. There are also some people who will take on unrealistic expectations because they're desperate for the job.

[Trifleorbust]

CaesiumTime: I don't know, that's why I am asking.

[takesnoprisoners]

Wind up.

[JaneAustinAllegro]

you need a housekeeper, one with initiative - which it sounds like your cleaner lacks. THe wrong sized hanger thing is just lazy thinking.

I'm not convinced that housekeepers / cleaners / nannies get paid materially differently? our cleaner gets £11 / hr gross, the nanny got more or less the same. It's purely expectation and setting that out. Four hours / day in the same household should be a bloody golddust job for a cleaner, no?

[twilightcafe]

You need a live-in maid, not a cleaner.

[CaesiumTime]

In my area Housekeepers and nannies are often paid less than cleaners per hour.

I should say that that is not the rule - there are very experienced career nannies who make far far more than most cleaners or housekeepers. And housekeepers have somewhat more job security as they are employed usually daily with one employer as opposed to cleaners who might need 2 or 3 different clients in one day.

Mother's helpers can have a wide remit - it usually doesn't include cleaning but sometimes can. Read job adverts in affluent areas - jobs like this - a areal mishmash of tasks - are very frequent and in high demand especially for mothers of young families.

[Trifleorbust]

JaneAustinAllegro: our cleaner gets £11 / hr gross, the nanny got more or less the same.

But am I right in thinking that they are two separate people?

[CaesiumTime]

Four hours / day in the same household should be a bloody golddust job for a cleaner, no?

EXACTLY! 4 hours a day in one household is a good job - I've had cleaners leave my employ to take up jobs like this. Once they get in with a good household that wants to employ them for a broader remit than "just cleaning" - then they are usually quite pleased to have the job.

[Underthemoonlight]

if shes a cleaner and you've paid her to clean your taking the piss out of her she sounds like a dogs body! As if she expected to dress feed a baby, wash, dry and iron clothes, tidy and clean the house. You are taking full advantage of this lady, you need a housekeeper/au pair who gets paid for their services they provide not advertise for a cleaner and expect her to do the lot, no wonder she wont tidy up. Im suprised she hasn't walked out

[Underthemoonlight]

i wonder what are you actually doing in this time op?